Gas Phase ion Chemistry - From the Laboratory to the Interstellar Medium

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

CCU Lecture Series

Abstract

Despite the harsh conditions of the interstellar medium, a rich variety of chemical species has
been detected in molecular clouds; neutral compounds and positive ions have been known for many
years, and more recently, the detection of negative ions has been an exciting discovery. Our laboratory
studies are directed at understanding the formation and interaction of these species. Experimental
techniques using flowing afterglow and selected ion flow tube instruments provide a versatile approach
for exploring the ion chemistry of a wide array of ions with neutral reactants that are abundant in the
interstellar medium, including hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms. Results will be discussed for the
reactivity and mechanisms of both organic cations and anions. Instrumental developments and future
directions will be described.